Santa Barbara Scenic Train and Coastal Charm 1-Day Trip from LA
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Escape the buzz of LA and glide up the coast in style aboard the legendary Amtrak Coast Starlight train from Oxnard Railway Station to Santa Barbara(no tour guide during the train trip)—hailed as one of America’s most breathtaking train rides. Watch the Pacific sparkle beside you as you journey to Santa Barbara, a seaside haven of Spanish charm and sun-kissed serenity. Stroll the iconic pier, unwind on the beach and breathe in the ocean breeze, and explore architectural gems like the Old Mission and the historic Courthouse. With spacious train seating, bilingual guides, and seamless LA pickup, this 10-hour adventure is your ticket to coastal bliss, cultural richness, and unforgettable views. All aboard for a day that feels like a dream!
Itinerary:
Los Angeles → Oxnard → Amtrak Coast Starlight (60 mins, ticket included, no tour guide during the trip)→ Pier Santa Barbara (90 mins) → Superior Court Of California (60 mins) → Old Mission Santa Barbara (outside visit, 40 mins) → Los Angeles
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Travelers under 18 must be with an adult. Pregnant travelers allowed if under 24 weeks.
Tour duration includes visit times, travel, traffic, and driving between locations.
Please verify your name and contact details; errors may incur additional costs.
You must provide your pick-up location to the operator at least 3 days before departure. If not received, the default pick-up will be: 08:30am Departure Pico House Los Angeles--424 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
For multiple bookings, please provide all confirmation numbers after booking to ensure you travel on the same bus.
By selecting an option and completing your booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to the tour's full product description, including all details about itinerary, included and excluded fees. Your payment indicates your acceptance of these terms.
Tickets & Admission: Third-party attraction tickets or city passes are not accepted.
Bring comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, cash, and water for hydration. A valid reachable phone number is required for safety and trip communication.
Children under 6 may require a booster seat by law when traveling on the minivans or vans. Please contact the operator in advance if needed; rental available on request.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Los Angeles
Today we’ll depart from Los Angeles and drive to Oxnard, where we’ll board the Coast Starlight train to Santa Barbara. The journey blends LA’s urban buzz with coastal calm. Leaving the city’s iconic skyline behind, we’ll head northwest on US-101, a well-maintained highway that hugs the coast in places and offers occasional ocean views and the Santa Monica Mountains as we pass by charming towns like Thousand Oaks and Camarillo. Rolling hills and farmland lead us to Oxnard, a relaxed coastal city known for its beaches and strawberry fields. Depending on traffic, the drive takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, before we pull into the Oxnard Railway Station to board the Coast Starlight train for the ride to Santa Barbara!
Amtrak Coast Starlight (60 mins, ticket included, no tour guide during the trip) Ride the legendary Amtrak Coast Starlight—America’s most scenic train journey! Enjoy 60 minutes of stunning views: snow-capped mountains, lush forests, and coastal beauty. Spacious seats and panoramic windows make this a relaxing, unforgettable experience. Ticket included; no guide needed—just sit back and let the landscape amaze you.
What‘s Included
Professional vehicles transportation (Vehicle used based on the number of guests attending that day)
For the driver and tour guide are included
Professional Driver and Guide (or Driver-Guide)
Ticket of Amtrak Coast Starlight
Meals, Food and Drinks
Personal expenses and other expenses not listed in the Cost Includes
Pickup points
Hartford Hotel, BW Signature Collection
8832 Glendon Way Rosemead United States
Lincoln Hotel Monterey Park/Los Angeles
123 S Lincoln Avenue, Monterey Park United States
Options
Tour with Pickup（AS1）
Please allow: a 5–10 minute window before and after your pick-up time, as the guide may arrive slightly early or late due to multiple stops
Check “Meeting & Pick-up”: for more details. Pickup time may differ from voucher start time. Confirm with operator after booking.
Pickup included
Reviews
27 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The city was superb but the tour is to be seen again
Lea R,,Aug 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Santa Barbara is a very beautiful city, the seaside with all the paintings and craft exhibitions are amazing! This is my favorite part where we stayed for 2 hours. Regarding the tour, the Amastrak Starlight is well to be taken but regarding our guide, he was more a driver than a guide, he just gave us instructions on the times and time on site. He spoke much more with the other Asians than we did, if not at all. We would have liked to have an explanation about County Courthouse, because it’s nice to see but to understand would be better... 🤷🏻♀️ and regarding Old Mission, there is a museum inside and it’s $17 admission, plus there is nothing to see except the religious souvenir shop 🙏🏻 the whole group stayed outside and we waited almost an hour like that
AVOID – AVOID – AVOID!!!!!!
benjamingG5827HF,,Aug 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00This tour is not as described… the trip is not from LA to Santa Barbara. Instead, you are driven an hour to Oxnard where we waited nearly two-hours for the Amtrak train. The driver left us and said our ticket for boarding the train was on the phone of another tour guest . Not one name from our party of 4 was on the ticket list on her phone and the driver had already left us. (did not wait to make sure we made the train) The driver told us we would ride upstairs on the double-decker panorama train car. First, there wasn’t a panorama car and second there were no seats available on the second level, no reserved seats and all passengers left to fend for themselves. The Amtrak agent told us our tickets were for the lower level. The train ride lasted only 45 minutes and during that time you saw the ocean only about half the time. We were not informed in advance that we would NOT ride the train back to LA. Instead, we were packed into a Ford transit van with 12 people. The stop in Santa Barbara was just long enough to get lunch. We were dropped off in a public parking lot and when we came back at the departure time the van/driver were nowhere to be found. We had to search to find the van. The two other stops at the courthouse were nice but too long as everyone in the group was ready to leave each stop after 15 minutes. THEN came the 2-hour trek back to LA in the crowded van (NOT the train) The webpage for this tour is very vague, the driver couldn’t give us direct answers about the tour. For the price they charge TOTALLY NOT worth it!!!!! When we tried to get clarification about where to park our car at the pickup point – no one could give us an answer to that simple question or how much it would cost, etc. Avoid this tour – book your own tour with Amtrak train from Union Station in LA or make the drive. This is not the experience you want! We were under the impression that the trip is primarily about the train ride, unfortunately, that's not the case with this tour. We got picked up at 8am and returned at 6pm and a total of 45 minutes was spent on the train. Tour is not worth the time or money.
santa barbara, a nice place
E2790KZnancyw,,Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I was on this tour last sundy, the coast starlight train had a very beautiful view and it is a good expericence. The stops were nice as well. the tour guide daniel chen was very helpful and knows a lot about the area. I willl recommend to others.
Beautiful Santa Barbara
regularguy79,,Jun 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We extended a business trip and decided to visit Santa Barbara. I’m told late May weather can be iffy, but we had beautiful skies and warm temperatures. We stopped at Jamie Slone Wines tasting room. Jamie and his wife, Kym, were wonderful. They recommended we head up to Buellton, stopping at Industrial Eats for lunch and Brick Barn Winery. Don’t be fooled by the warehouse area that Industrial Eats is located in. The interior is wonderfully clean and charming. More importantly, the food is amazing! Brick Barn Winery was equally good. We skipped a tasting and selected a couple glasses of wine (you can get a taste first). We hope to return to Santa Barbara for more than just a day visit.
Great experience! As a solo traveler I was made to feel included and welcome. Our driver/guide Danny was very helpful
selinap70,,Apr 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The trip to Santa Barbara was worth it. With only a few days in LA and wanting to see some scenery, this trip delivered. Amazing place
AMAZING TRIP
stressfreet,,Mar 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jack our guide was AWESOME. The views were AMAZING! And the lobster rolls were DELICIOUS. Enjoyed the tour of the jail!!
Excellent experience good
MaryPaz M,,Jan 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00it was a really good experience recommendable for anybody. the ride in the Amtrak was fine, the ristorantes in the area ok the food really good
Train ride
Aileen A,,Jan 8, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00The train tide was very enjoyable. I had my own seat and was very scenic. I was able to talk with the train conductor and he had many tips for my next train tide
Terrible
mariafZ3704AT,,Oct 15, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00This simply isn’t true. They did not state anywhere on the reservations that the Amtrak ride would be only 45 MINS from Oxnard to Santa Barbara. Everyone on the trip was confused and upset because we all thought that we would take the AMTRACK from LA. They did not explain that we would all be in an extremely small mini-van to drive an hour to the Oxnard Station, have to wait for over an hour to take the Amtrak, and then have to drive back in an overcrowded mini-van for a 2 hour and a half drive back from Santa Barbara.
Trip description in way off.
Curiosity287843,,Sep 18, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Trip description is misleading. The train ride is from Oxnard to Santa Barbara not LA/Union Station. We had to take a 1 1/2 hour van ride in gridlock LA traffic to catch the train. The train trip from Oxnard to Santa Barbara is only 45 minutes. We didn't even take the train back to Oxnard. Instead, we spent 2 1/2 hours in a cramped van in terrible traffic. The tour guide spoke little English and provided very little information about points of interest the entire day. The guide then demanded a tip at our last stop. When we got to the Mission we were told that we would have to pay the admission fee. The trip description says it should be included. If we knew we would have to spend most of the day in a van in traffic, we would have driven to Santa Barbara on our own. We were under the impression that the trip is primarily about the train ride, unfortunately, that's not the case with this tour. Tour is not worth the time or money.
From US$220.00
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Operated by Jupiter Legend Corporation